Creating A Book Club

Oprah has one. As does the Today Show. Public libraries wouldn’t be the same without them. And even children are forming their own. They’re book clubs and they have long been the means to an end for many busy readers.

As the hustle and bustle of the holidays are a merry memory, you may have turned your attention to filling your leisure time by increasing the amount of reading you do. Avid readers and periodic readers alike find that book clubs offer a great way to get more out of their reading habits, while enjoying the company of others.

“Reading is a wonderful springboard to taking the time to sit and think,” said Suzanne Beecher, CEO and founder of www.DearReader.com. “If you enjoy spending time with other people – other than standing in line with them at the grocery store – book clubs are a wonderful way to reconnect with people. Book clubs are so popular today because reading is still delivering an escape, a time to relax, a time to learn more about ourselves and discover what we really think about things.” Beecher has been helping people form their own book clubs and offering her own online book club since 1999. Each day,
over 300,000 people read from the 14 different clubs she produces.

Whether you are looking to join a book club or would like to form your own, there are some key things to consider.

“Not every book is a good match for everyone and you might have to do some ‘test-driving’ to find the right book club for you,” Beecher noted. “If it's a book club that gets together to meet in person, telephone someone who's a member and ask some questions before you visit.”

Some questions you might ask are:

[BULLET]
What books have they read lately?
Do they limit books to one genre?
Who chooses the books?
How much time do you have to read the book?
What are the ages of the people in the group?
How much of their meeting is discussing the book?
Do most people read the book?
Why do they personally belong to the book club? And how long have they been a member?
What did they like about the last book that the club read together?
How many people are in the club?

To find the right book club or to begin one on your own, Beecher suggests posting announcements at your office, the library, in your church's bulletin, on the gym's bulletin board or even take out a small classified ad in the neighborhood newspaper.

“Don't be in a hurry to form a group. Finding the right mix for a group is important. And don't be afraid to start out small or stay small,” Beecher said. “It's not the number of people in your group that makes a book club successful, but whether are people enjoying being part of the book club and feel that, 'Yes, this is something good in my life and I'm so glad I joined.'

Online book clubs such as DearReader.com or those offered through your local library just might be the perfect match for you if you’re a busy person, who doesn’t have time to get together in person with a group.